Of Monsters and Vigilantes
by Devon Goes to Heaven
Summary: Oliver Queen has returned from five years of hell on Lian Yu. There's just one problem: Laurel Lance is nowhere to be found. (Re-imagining of my fic "A Caged Bird")
1. Gone Girl

**_Disclaimer:_** _I do not own Green Arrow, Black Canary or any other DC properties in this story. This is merely written for fun._

This is a complete rewrite of my fic _A Caged Bird_. When I wrote the original version, I was new to fanfiction. I feel like I made a lot of rookie mistakes and the story could have been written so much better. I had always promised one of my readers that I'd rewrite it. So, I made a point to get this done when I felt like I was more prepared to take on a full length story. The original version will stay posted for the people that really loved that version despite it's flaws. I hope that the people that enjoyed that version will like the updated version as well.

I'd like to list a few changes from the original Arrow canon. The first is that Sara Lance does not exist in this fic. I didn't want to put Sara on The Gambit with Oliver, and without that event, she can't become the Canary. So, her existence in this fic would only demote her to simply being Laurel's sister. The second change is that Dinah Drake Lance will take Sara's place as the first Canary to adhere to comic canon. I feel like the show disserviced Dinah Drake Lance by reducing her to a crying mom that only cared about one of her daughters.

 _A Caged Bird_ was inspired by Jessica Jones and so will this rewrite. I changed the title, because the original story eventually became more than the original premise. As the story evolved, I had many arches planned passed the threat of Count Vertigo. I really hope you all enjoy this new version. Thank you all for following _A Caged Bird_. All your reviews were much appreciated. Leave a comment at the end of this fic if you enjoy this version as well.

 ** _Of Monsters and Vigilantes_**

 _I. Gone Girl_

 _Dinah Laurel Lance - always trying to save the world._ That's what her father would always say. Maybe that's why she had strived for a career in law. Maybe that was her way of saving the world. _Yet,_ saving the world had come with a heavy price. Laurel was blind to how corrupt Starling City truly was.

Now, she's stuck in this room with no escape. She isn't even _Laurel_ anymore. She does as she's ordered and says what she's told to say. She's a shell of her former self. This life is her _punishment_ for daring to do what is right. She wanted to clean up the streets of Starling City, but the streets is not where the seed of corruption and crime was planted. Corruption started from the the top and spiraled down into the glades. Politicians, corrupt judges, and dirty cops were responsible for the high crime in Starling City.

Laurel has had a long time to think of _why_ she ended up here. It hadn't taken her long to draw the link between Adam Hunt, Judge Grell, and their ties to Count Vertigo. Judge Grell saw her as a threat to be dealt with, and Adam Hunt had the money to dispose of her. Maybe they both hoped that Count Vertigo would kill her and dump her remains over the interstate. A part of her wishes that were the case.

"Dinah Laurel Lance…"

Laurel's skin crawls at the sound of Count Vertigo's voice. She can feel the ground shift as Vertigo walks towards her. He stands in front of her in a long black coat. He leans in front of her and touches her cheek.

"You're like a doll," his voice is low as he looks into her eyes. "I like you like this - so obediant."

She tries to move her cheek away from his hand, but she can't. She's still out of control. Vertigo leans forward and places a kiss on her lips. He rises to his full height and looks down on her with malicious eyes.

"Stand up," he orders.

Her body feels as if it's moving on autopilot. She rises from the couch and stands before him. Vertigo reaches out and draws back a strand of her long brown hair. His lips twist into a sick smile.

"Now undress for me," he orders.

Laurel tries to fight the drug inside her system. She tries to reconnect her mind to her body, but she can't. Her hands seem to lift her blouse over her head as if she were possessed. Laurel can feel tears brim her eyes.

"You're crying," his voice is low, cold, and threatening. "You know I hate it when you cry, Laurel."

* * *

Oliver looks to his reflection in the mirror. His long hair and long beard have been cut down to a reasonable length. He looks to the scars on his chest. They are reminders of the hell he has lived for the passed five years. Oliver buttons up his white dress shirt, concealing all his painful scars from the the world. He cannot be that damaged man from Lian Yu. Today, he must reenter the world as the Oliver Queen that left on The Gambit.

There is a soft knock on his bedroom door. Oliver turns away from the mirror and goes to his door. He opens the door to see Raisa behind the door with a clean black suit coat in her hands.

"For you, Oliver," she says.

"Thank you, Raisa," Oliver makes a point to be polite to the maid he once was so dismissive to.

Oliver takes the coat in hand, feeling the expensive fabric. He had forgotten what luxury felt like - comfortable but so very friviless. Oliver places his left arm in one sleeve before placing his right arm in the vacant sleeve. He shifts the black coat up his shoulders. His hands smooth over the coat. It feels nice. It probably looks just as nice at it feels. _Laurel will like it_. Oliver smiles to his maid.

"How do I look?" he asks.

"Handsome as ever," she says with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Oliver."

"It's good to see you too, Raisa," Oliver returns her smile.

"Oh!" Raisa exclaims. "I almost forgot! When you are done up here, your friend Tommy is downstairs waiting to see you."

Oliver's smile widens. _Tommy_. It would be so good to see him again. Oliver hurries passed Raisa. His feet seem to walk as fast as they possibly can. Oliver turns the corner out of the hallway. He looks down from the staircase to see Tommy standing at the main entrance of the mansion. One hand is tucked in Tommy's pocket while his free hand is holding his phone.

Oliver moves down the stairs. Tommy looks up to Oliver and tucks his phone into his pocket. His eyes seem to light up at the sight of Oliver. Oliver hugs Tommy and gives him a pat on the back. The two pull away from each other as an awkward silence hangs over them.

"It's good to see you, Oliver," Tommy says.

"It's good to see you too, Tommy," Oliver replies.

" _So_...I imagine there are a ton of things you want to do today," Tommy says. "Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

"Yes," Oliver looks directly into Tommy's eyes. "I want to see Laurel."

Tommy's smile seems to dissolve from his face. "Laurel...is _gone_."

It's as if the glue holding his life together has all come undone all at once. Oliver feels as if Laurel's picture is burning through his pocket. She was his light in the darkness. She was the only reason he lived through that island of hell.

"What do you mean gone?" his words feel so weak as they leave his mouth. "Is she... _dead?_ "

"I...don't know," Tommy says. "No one has seen or heard from her for months. No one knows if she's dead or alive. She's just _gone_."

"Her mother and father…?" Oliver voice catches in his throat.

"Her father still works for the police department," Tommy answers. "But, her mom skipped out of town right after it happened. I guess she's in Central City. That's what Quentin told me last."

"And, they have no idea why she disappeared?" Oliver asks.

Tommy shakes his head. "No, no one knows. The police don't have any leads. It's like she vanished into thin air."

His muscles become strained as his entire body becomes stiff. Oliver had meant to return to Starling City with one overarching goal - to clean up his city. The promise he made to his father, the names in that his father wrote in that book - it will all have to wait. The desire for revenge is still hot in his blood, but there's one thing that drives him more than anything else.

And, that's Dinah Laurel Lance.

"Tommy, I'm going to find her."

"Oliver…" Tommy's voice is low. "The DEA and the FBI are more qualified for this kind of thing."

"Yeah, well, they haven't found her," Oliver walks passed Tommy and goes to the front door. He places his hand on the door handle and turns back to Tommy. "If they're not going to do their job, I'll do it for them."

Oliver pulls down on the gold handle and pulls the door open. He pulls his car keys from his pocket and clicks the button to unlock his Black Mercedes Sedan. Oliver rounds the front of his car and grabs the handle. He glances over the car to see Tommy looking to him. Oliver holds his stare for one second longer before pulling open the car door. He sits in the front seat and places the key in the ignition. Oliver turns on the car and pulls the car door shut.

He draws in a deep breath of air. His chest feels so tight and his shoulders are tense. Oliver rediscovers the crippling emotion that is fear. Many different terrible scenarios seem to flicker through his mind, each increasingly worse. He tries to find a more positive explanation for her disappearance, but all are impossible. Laurel would never leave her family without leaving a way for them to contact her. Her mother and father are her life.

Oliver lowers the parking break on his car. He presses down on the clutch and shifts his car into first gear. He moves the car to the front gate of the Queen Estate. The gates open automatically for him. Oliver presses down on the clutch and shifts the car into second gear. The only person he can think to talk to is Laurel's father. Oliver pulls the car out into the neighborhood street and shifts into third gear.

 _Quentin Lance_ \- Oliver can still remember the her father's strained voice and hateful glares. It wasn't any secret that Mr. Lance wanted Oliver to stay far away from his daughter. Oliver turns the car out of the neighborhood into city traffic. He shifts the car into fourth gear. _It doesn't matter._ The past is the past. Oliver knows that Quentin's loathing for him is the least of the man's problems now.

Oliver eyes Starling Police Department. He slows the car and parks next a nearby parking meter. Oliver turns off the ignition and takes his keys in hand. He raises the parking break before he opens the door to his Mercedes and exits the car. He slams the door behind him and presses the button on his key to lock his car. Oliver drops four quarters into the parking meter and walks to the police station.

Oliver walks up a small flight of steps and pulls open a glass door. A chill runs down his spine as takes in the plain white walls, the bland tile floor, and the gray front desk. It looks the same as it did the last time he came here after being arrested for his DUI. He remembers Laurel's crossed arms as she looked down at him with disappointment. Yet, even still, she still pleaded to her father to find a way to drop the charges. Quentin did not yield. His own hatred for him was stronger than the sound of his daughters pleas.

A door opens. Quentin Lance steps out and holds the door for a female officer. He let's the door fall closed behind him and turns to the entrance. His eyes fall onto Oliver and his cup of Circle K coffee slips from his hand. Quentin's face is pale as he looks open Oliver.

"Mr. Lance…" Oliver looks to him.

Quentin pauses before finally answering. "Oliver Queen? What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" Oliver says.

Quentin releases a deep breath. His voice is uneasy when he answers. " _Sure_."

Quentin walks to the glass door, opens it, and holds the door for Oliver. He motions him with his hand. Oliver walks outside the door. Quentin releases the door and looks to Oliver. Oliver can smell whiskey on Quentin's breath as he release a deep sigh.

"Look Oliver, if it's about Laurel..." Quentin pauses for a moment. "I'm busy with this case. I can't talk about it right now."

"Mr. Lance…"

Quentin eyes him with a bit of contempt. "I'm glad your alive. I can imagine Mrs. Queen and Thea are happy to see you. Laurel loved you, Oliver. When she heard about your... _death_ , it devastated her. I just wish she came back from the dead with you."

"Mr. Lance..."

Quentin looks to his watch and back to Oliver. "I've got to go. It was good seeing you."

Quentin walks passed him and down to his car parked in front of the station. The man is completely drunk, but still, he's bold enough to drive in his state of intoxication. Oliver places his hands in his pockets and watches Quentin pull his car out into traffic. The car swerves into the left lane, and all Oliver can hear is the harsh words Mr. Lance had said the day Oliver got his DUI. Oliver frowns. It all feels like a vivid dream now.

He walks down the small flight of stairs and returns to his Mercedes. He clicks the button to unlock his car. Oliver opens his car door and sits in the driver's seat. He closes the door of his car and looks out into the distance. If no one else can help Laurel then it's up to The Hood to deliver justice in their place.


	2. Know Thy Enemy

_I apologize for disappearing. I got extremely busy with personal issues. I'm glad to see so many reviews from people that like this story and love Laurel._

 ** _Of Monsters and Vigilantes_**

 _II. Know Thy Enemy_

Days of examining police reports and reading through every last bit of information on Laurel's disappears have all been nothing but dead ends. Oliver shuts his laptop. He sets his elbows on his desk and laces his fingers together. It's as if Dinah Laurel Lance has become nothing but a ghost. Oliver racks his brain for any small detail that might bring him to a lead, but he's at a loss.

Oliver rolls his chair back and turns the chair before rising to his feet. He crosses through his room and turns into the hallway. Oliver retrieves his iPhone from his pocket. The last phone he owned was a flip phone. It would seem that technology has progressed enough that people have small computers in their pockets rather than phones. Oliver dials Tommy's number and places the phone to his ear.

"What's up?" Tommy asks.

"Are we still looking at that old warehouse today?" Oliver asks.

"That was the plan," Tommy says. "I'll be there in about a half an hour."

"I'll see you there," Oliver replies.

"See you there," Tommy says before he ends the call.

Oliver looks down the staircase to see Thea dressed in her school uniform. She rolls her eyes at Oliver and turns her eyes away from him. She's been at odds with him since his return. Oliver puts on his best smile as he walks down the staircase.

"Mom says you're taking me to school today," her tone is filled with mild annoyance.

Oliver forces a smile as he looks to Thea. "Remind me where it is."

"Give me your phone," Thea says with a frustrated sigh.

Oliver unlocked his iPhone and hands it to Thea. Oliver watches as Thea pulls up an application in his phone and types in an address. She hits enter and hands the phone back to Oliver.

Oliver walks to the front door and opens it for Thea. Thea walks passed him with a huff. Oliver draws in a deep breath as he shuts the door behind him. He walks to his car and clicks the button on his keys to unlock his car. He opens the driver's side door and sits in the front seat. Thea sits in the passenger's seat and crosses her arms.

"Put your seatbelt on," Oliver says.

"Why?" Thea's tone is dry. "You never wear yours."

"Just do it, okay," Oliver says with an exasperated sigh.

"Whatever," Thea says as she pulls her seat belt over her chest.

Oliver places his keys in the ignition and turns on the car. He places his left foot on the clutch and lowers the parking brake. Oliver shifts the car into first gear and moves towards the gate. He waits for the gates to open before moving the car out of the Queen Estate.

Thea's arms are crossed as she looks out to the window. "I don't get why you get a car. I passed driver's ed, but mom insisted on giving the new car to you."

"Thea…" Oliver's tone is strained. "Can we not argue while I'm driving?"

"Why not now? You're always hiding in your room!" Thea snaps. "And, when you try to have anything to do with me, you judge me for everything. You don't like me drinking? _Fine_! But, keep it to yourself! It's not like you were any better when you were my age!"

"Thea, I'm concerned, because I made a lot of mistakes when I was your age," Oliver keeps his tone even and tries to maintain focus on the road. "I have a lot of regrets—"

" _Regrets?_ About what?" Thea argues. "You and Tommy are trying to open a nightclub! You haven't changed Oliver! You just want mom to think you've changed!"

Oliver pulls into the school parking lot. His jaw is tight as he tries to keep his cool. Arguing with her won't make their strained relationship any better. Oliver parks the car and raises the parking brake. He releases a deep breath into the air and selects his next words carefully.

"Tommy and I are opening a nightclub to start a business of our own," Oliver explains. "When I came back, I told myself I wouldn't return to being that trustfund delinquent I was before the Gambit. This is a way for Tommy and I to do something on our own…"

" _By opening a bar?_ " Thea rolls her eyes and opens the car door. "Maybe mom buys your story, but I don't. Look, Ollie, I don't care what you do. Just don't preach as if you know better, because _you don't_."

Thea slams the car door behind her. Oliver leans back against the seat of his car and lets out a loud groan. His hands tighten around the steering wheel. Dealing with simple family issues has always been a weak point for him, but being away from normal society for five years has made his people skills weaker than they were before.

Oliver lowers the parking brake and reverses the car out of the parking space. He shifts into first gear and drives the car out of the parking lot. He hears his phone ring from his jacket pocket. Oliver reaches for the phone to see Tommy's name on the top center of the screen. Oliver hits answer.

"Are you coming or not?" Tommy asks.

"Sorry, I got tied up taking Thea to school," Oliver replies.

"Well, hurry," Tommy says. "The realtor is waiting on you!"

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Oliver says before ending the call.

Oliver places his phone back into his pocket and focuses on the open road. He makes a right turn onto the interstate frontage road before merging onto the freeway.

Laurel comes to the forefront of his mind. He remembers their last kiss before boarding the Gambit. He was so young and selfish. If he knew that would be the last time he'd kiss her, he would have held onto that moment like it was some sort of lifeline. She may be lost to him now... _forever_.

Oliver breathes. He feels as if there is a piece of him missing. He recalls the time he'd returned to the States briefly under the watchful eye of Amanda Waller. He'd seen Laurel at one of Tommy's parties. He'd even dared to call her just to hear the sound of her voice. His chest constricts as he tries to fight back his emotions. _No_ , she can't be gone. There has to be some answer to her disappearance. He'd do anything just to hear the sound of voice, to see her bright smile, to hold her in his arms — but that may never be. It's that very thought that scares him the most.

He moves his car into the exit lane. Oliver descends off the freeway and shifts into the right hand lane. He moves through traffic with ease. His Mercedes Benz sticks out like a sore thumb in the Glades. All the vehicles on the roads have to be at least ten years old. Before the island, Oliver never knew what it was like to go without. He didn't hate the poor. He just didn't care one way or another. The poor were poor and the rich were rich. That's just how life is. Isn't that how Malcolm Merlyn had put it so coldly when Tommy asked?

The island has humbled him. He empathizes with the poor. The people in the Glades suffer, because society has failed them. To clean up the streets isn't just about picking off the men in his father's book. It's about rebuilding communities and helping people that have been kicked down. Society must change if real progress is to be made.

Oliver makes a left hand turn at a traffic light. He slows the car and makes a left hand turn into a street full of warehouses. Oliver sees Tommy's car parked on the side of the street. Oliver slows the car and parks it behind Tommy's car. He takes the keys from the ignition and pulls up the parking brake before exiting the car. Oliver looks over the hood of his car at the abandoned warehouse. It's going to need a lot of work, but it will do nicely.

Oliver closes the car door. He walks in between his and Tommy's car. He walks up a dusty sidewalk. The door to the Warehouse is propped open. Oliver steps inside the dimly lit building. He looks to see Tommy standing with a blonde woman dressed in a deep red pantsuit.

"Mr. Queen," she says. "I'm glad you could make it."

Oliver clears his throat and says, "I...apologize for my tardiness."

"Better late than never," Tommy smiles. "What do you think?"

Oliver does a circle and examines the warehouse. There's an upstairs area that can easily be made into a VIP section. The rest of the warehouse is an open space. Oliver places his hand in his pocket. This place may be just what he is looking for. There's just one last thing he needs to see first.

"It was under my assumption that there was a basement," Oliver says. "Forgive me if I read incorrectly."

"It's towards the back of the warehouse," the real estate agent says. "Would you like to see it, Mr. Queen?"

"Please," Oliver says.

The real estate agent leads the way. Tommy walks by Oliver's side. "You planning on making something out of the basement?"

"I don't have any plans," Oliver says. "It was in the ad. I figured I'd take a look."

The real estate agent opens a dusty metal door. Tommy raises his iPhone and powers up a flashlight through his camera lense. Oliver follows the light and looks down into the dimly lit room.

It's large enough to set up some equipment. He has a vision in his mind of what he hopes for in the future. The basement will do nicely for the picture he invisions in his mind.

Oliver turns back to the real estate agent. "We'll take it."

…

The night air is dry and crisp. He presses his chapped lips into a hardline as he looks over the edge of the building. His grip tightens around the bow in his hand. _No one knows_. Oliver tries to think back to friends of Laurel's from high school and college. He's searched their social media pages and court records for _something_ \- even the slightest little notion of what might have happened to her.

 _Nothing_. All those friends of hers have moved away or just drifted apart from Laurel. She has one good friend that he's never seen before. _Joanna de la Vega_. She's a legal aid that worked with Laurel at CNRI. Vega is as clean cut as they come. It's wrong to corner her on the street like this, but he has no other choice. Oliver pulls back on his grappling arrow and releases it onto the building across from him. He swings down from the building and drops in front of Vega.

Vega gasps and jumps at the sight of him. Her eyes are wide with terror. Oliver places his palm outwards and lowers his bow. " _I'm not here to hurt you. I just need to ask you some questions."_

Vega looks to the bow and looks back to him. "Who are you?"

" _I watch over this city,"_ Oliver paces around Vega as he speaks. " _I'm here to find justice for those that can't find it through your legal system."_

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" her eyes are watching him as they dilate in panic.

" _Dinah Laurel Lance…"_ each syllable of her name cuts into him like tiny little knives. " _You worked with her...you knew her."_

Vega's breath is heavy. She crosses her arms around herself protectively. Her eyes look to the ground for a moment.

"I don't know where she is," he can hear the grief in her voice. "No one does. The police didn't find a body or a sign of a struggle. She had an ex-boyfriend that died. Maybe she had a psychological break down and skipped town."

He can see the fear in her eyes. _That's not it._ She knows that's not it, but she's too afraid to say anything.

" _You know more than what you are telling me,"_ Oliver looks to her. " _She was your friend. She helped you get the job at CNRI."_

"I'm a legal aid!" Joanna snaps. "How can you expect _me_ to know anything about an investigation of a missing person?"

" _Give me a name,"_ Oliver looks to her. " _That's all I need."_

Her breath hitches in her throat. He sees her ball her fists. She bites her lower lip as her eyes fall onto the asphalt. She releases the tension in her fists and looks back up to Oliver.

"Sean Grell," she says.

" _It's dangerous out here,"_ Oliver says. " _Go home, Miss Vega."_

He pulls a grappling arrow from his quiver and knocks it back against his bow string. He aims for the roof of the building and releases the arrow upwards. The grappling line propels him into the air. Vega, who once looked at him with fear, now looks at him with an astonished look upon her face. She is the first to witness the change that will be brought to his city - _the first of many._


End file.
